Manual Overview
Purpose
The purpose of this protocol is to facilitate a streamlined process for biospecimen collection, storage, shipping, and processing. By following these protocols, biospecimens will be collected and handled uniformly, ensuring that data acquired from prospective uses are as comparable as possible, regardless of the collection site.
Scope
This manual is broadly broken into four main sections: Collection Kit Overview, Biospecimen Collection, Shipping Instructions, and Quality Control. Biospecimen collection kits are assembled in the INCLUDE DS-Biorepository central lab, located at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and shipped to various collection sites. Using these kits and following the protocols outlined in the Biospecimen Collection section, the collection sites will at a minimum, collect and store tongue swabs, cells for downstream DNA isolation, cells stabilized for RNA isolation, and plasma. In addition to the minimum, these protocols will facilitate the collection of cryopreserved buffy coat, red blood cells, and whole blood fixed for immunophenotyping using Cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF®). Samples will be batch-shipped once a predetermined threshold of 4 participants (U.S. Sites) or 10 participants (international sites) have been collected, or 3 months have passed since the last shipment.
Required Materials
Below is a list of the required materials for biospecimen collection, storage, and return shipment to the central biorepository. Once received by the central lab, these samples will be stored for prospective research use. Many of these materials are provided by the DS-Biorepository central lab as part of the pre-assembled kits. Materials provided in these kits, as well as materials and equipment required but not supplied, are detailed below and in their respective portions of the Biospecimen Collection section.
| Material | Source | Vendor | Catalog # |
| 1000 ul Barrier Tips, Sterile | To be provided by collection site | ||
| 10X Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) | Supplement Kit (for Child/Adult Kits) | Rockland | MB-008 |
| 200 ul Barrier Tips, Sterile | To be provided by collection site | ||
| 20 ul Barrier Tips, Sterile | To be provided by collection site | ||
| BD PhosflowTM Lyse/Fix Buffer 5x | Supplement Kit (for Child/Adult Kits) | BD Bioscience | 558049 |
| Biospecimen Bag, Small | Child, Adult, Tasso Kits | Fisher Scientific | 12-888-306 |
| Biospecimen Bag, Medium | Child, Adult, Saliva | Fisher Scientific | 23-700-205 |
| Conical tubes, 15 mL | To be provided by collection site | ||
| Conical tubes, 50 mL | To be provided by collection site | ||
| Cryogenic Vials, 1.2 mL | Child, Adult Kits | Corning | 430487 |
| Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), Sterile Filtered | Supplement Kit (for Child/Adult Kits) | Sigma-Aldrich | D2438-50ML |
| Dry Ice | To be provided by collection site | ||
| Dry Ice Label | Child, Adult Kits | Uline | S-2844 |
| Fetal Bovine Serum-Heat inactivated (FBS) | Supplement Kit (for Child/Adult Kits) | ||
| Gauze | Tasso Kits | Fisher Scientific | 22-362178 |
| Gloves | To be provided by collection site | ||
| Insulated Shipping Box | To be provided by collection site | ||
| K2 EDTA Vacutainer, 10 mL | Adult Kits | BD Bioscience | 366643 |
| K2 EDTA Vacutainer, 4 mL | Child Kits | BD Bioscience | 367861 |
| Liquid Medical Waste Fluid Solidifier | Child, Adult Kits | Ecolab | LTSP3000 |
| Matrix 0.5 mL Screw Top Tubes | Child, Adult, Tasso Kits | Thermo Scientific | 3745-BR |
| Matrix Tube Caps, Colorless | Child, Adult, Tasso Kits | Thermo Scientific | 4470 |
| Matrix Tube Caps, Red | Child, Adult Kits | Thermo Scientific | 4470RED |
| Maxpar® Cell Staining Buffer | Supplement Kit (for Child/Adult Kits) | Standard BioTools | 201068 |
| Microcentrifuge Tubes, 1.5 mL | To be provided by collection site | ||
| Microcentrifuge tubes, 2.0. mL | Tasso, Child, Adult Kits | Thermo Scientific | 3463 |
| OMNIgene Tongue Swab | Tasso, Child, Adult Kits | DNA Genotek | OMR-120 |
| ORAgeneTM Saliva Kit | Saliva Kits | DNA Genotek | OGR-600 |
| PAXgene® Blood DNA Vacutainer, 2.5 mL | Child Kits | BD Bioscience | 761165 |
| PAXgene® Blood DNA Vacutainer, 8.5 mL | Adult Kits | BD Bioscience | 761115 |
| PAXgene® Blood RNA Vacutainer, 2.5 mL | Child, Adult Kits | BD Bioscience | 762165 |
| Red Blood Cell Lysis Buffer | Supplement Kit (for Child/Adult Kits) | Thermo Scientific | A1049201 |
| Rigid cardboard box (return of samples) | To be provided by collection site | ||
| RNAlaterTM Stabilization Solution | Tasso Kit | Invitrogen | AM7020 |
| Saliva Collection Sponge | Tasso, Child, Adult Kits | DNA Genotek | OG-AC1 |
| Serological Pipets, 10 mL | To be provided by collection site | ||
| Styrofoam box (return of samples) | To be provided by collection site | ||
| Tasso+® EDTA Kit, RUO | Tasso Kits | Tasso | K1025-01-EDT-G01-RUO |
| Therapak™ Aqui-Pak™ Absorbent Sleeves | Child, Adult, Tasso, Saliva Kits | Fisher Scientific | 22-130-043 |
| UltraPure Distilled Water | Supplement Kit (for Child/Adult Kits) | Invitrogen | 10977-015 |
| UN3373 Label | All Kits | Uline | S-12521 |
| Ziploc Bag, 12″ x 15″ | All Kits | Fiser Scientific | NC9870745 |